Attachment to friction-top cans.



H. J. WIOKMAN.

ATTACHMENT TO FRICTION TOP CANS.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB.14, 1911.

Patented Mar. 19, 1912.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY J'. WICKMAN, OF HOWELL, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO CHARLESE. VAN KEUREN, OF HOWELL, MICHIGAN.

ATTACHMENT TO FRICTION-TO]? CANS.

Specification of Letters Patent Patented Mar. 19, 1912.

Application filed February 14, 1911. berial No. 658,587.

'Cans, of which the followingis a specification, reference being hadtherein to'the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an attachment to friction top cans of the kindin which the top is provided with a recess and the attachment consistsof a key for prying off the top so arranged and constructed that it hasthe additional functions of holding'loose matter, such as an address,bill, label or printed matter securely in the recess, and also adaptedif desired to hold the can to more firmly in the can, all as more fullyliereinafter described and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a friction top can provided withthe attachment, the dotted lines showing one of its uses; Fig. 2 is atop planview of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross section of the can showing the attachment as in theact of insertion;

and Fig. 4 is a detached plan view of the attachment. Referring to thenumbers applied to th different parts as shown in the drawings, 1represents a tin can provided with a friction top 2zformed with therecess 3 all of the usual. construction. My invention consists of a key'preferabl formed of a single piece of still hard wire with a shank 4terminating in a flattened end 5 and with a loop (3 forming a handle atthe other end.

The particular features of the key are that its size has a definiterelation to the size of the recess of the top of the can; the size ofthe key being such that in its normal condition it is too large for therecess. This relation between the size of the key and that of the recessis more particularly shown in Fig. I -wherein the 'full circle 8 showsthe. size of the recess in the top of the can while the dotted circle 9shows the size of the circle described around the key in its normalcondition. Since the key however is made of spring wire and an open gap?is provided at the end of the loop,-it forms a spring which can becontracted within the elastic limit andreadily forced into the recess.If formed of suitably stifi wire it will be firmly'held against anyaccidental displacement and serve as a very convenient means to hold anyloose matteras shown by dotted lines 10 in Fig. 3 such as a card, bill,advertising matter etc. firmly in the recess. It will also be understoodthat if the wire is stiff enough it will increase the frictional hold ofthe can top in the can body.

To facilitate the ready insertibn and removal of the key, the flattenedend 5 is made preferably 111 a'plane at right angles to the, plane ofthe key, so that by placing the key into the'top as shown in Fig. 3 itcan be readily forced into the recess and since this flattened end willhold it slightly elevated when pressed in, it can be readily grasped andpulled out, when desired to use it as a pry for the top as shown indotted lines in Fig. 1.

It is obvious that the form of the key can be variously altered withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention but I prefer to give it theform shown which makes its use as a pry more self evident, and also hasthe advantage of adding butv little expense to the can.

K lVhat I claim as my invention is:

As an attachment to friction top can with recessed top, a key formed ofa piece of stiff wire with a shank portion and a substantiallytriangular, handle ortion adapted to permit the key of being exed asawhole. at

one cornerof the handle to be contracted within the recess of the to aof the can. the

key being normall of a size to fit a circle of greater radius t an thatof the recess and the end of the shank being flattened in a plane atright angles to that of the handle.

In testimony "whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY J. WI CKMAN.

Witnesses:

G. R. STICKNEY, ANNA O. RAVILER.

